Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It's the last weekend of summer. I know, summer is not officially over until September 22nd  (Melinda reminded me of this on our morning walk), but it feels like it's over when the kids go back to school.
With the end of summer, comes the end of local fruits and veggies. It was a hot summer here, and the peach crop came on unusually early. Tomatoes have been plentiful. Local corn has been amazing. I've been eating lots of these:

Tomato Toast

Yum.

I cooked like a crazy person last week. I tried to keep up with the fresh peaches, tomatoes and corn on my counter before they attracted my personal favorite, fruit flies. What is it about fruit flies??  I have a serious hate relationship with fruit flies and moths. I'll spare you a crazy rant about both :) 

I've been making this Black Bean and Corn Salsa for years. The recipe originally came from a cookbook in my collection. It's simple and can be made anytime of the year, from summer to the dead of winter. In September, it's a crime to use anything but fresh tomatoes and fresh corn. If you haven't ever made black bean salsa, this is the recipe for you. It's foolproof and absolutely delicious. Enjoy your last weekend of summer! 

Next week, two more early harvest recipes: Fresh Peach and Blackberry Slaw  and Mango-Peach Tango. 

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

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15 oz can black beans, rinsed with cold water and drained ( I like S&W brand best)

2-3 ears corn, cooked and cut off cob, or half of one small bag of frozen corn, about 1 cup

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro, about 1 cup

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1/2-3/4 cup chopped red or purple onion

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 fresh medium size tomatoes, chunked or 1/2 can of *Rotel (pureed if desired)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix gently with a large spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours if possible. Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish with enchiladas or other Mexican dishes. 

Tips:

-If you want to make a large amount, this recipe is really easy to double. I often spoon half of the salsa into a mason jar, top it with a screw on lid and share with a friend

-*Rotel is a mixture of tomatoes, spices and green chilies.  

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Quinoa Salad

Have you tried Quinoa? It's a whole grain (or seed to be more precise). High in protein, also gluten and cholesterol free (check out this link for all you ever wanted to know about quinoa, but were afraid to ask).
I made this salad to go along with some grilled salmon and fruit last week for Brookie's birthday. Brooke and I absolutely loved it. It's fresh and simple. Mint, veggies, quinoa and an olive oil, fresh lemon juice and balsamic dressing. This is a great alternative to the usual potato salad and baked bean side for your summer BBQ.
Jake was a little less enthusiastic about our side dish. He ate one tablespoon of salad I placed on his plate, then made the remainder of his meal salmon and watermelon.
Hello.
Never judge the success of a vegetarian recipe by the reaction of a 15 year old boy.





Quinoa Salad
adapted from Food Network
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1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
4-5 pickling cucumbers, seeded, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes*
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced or a pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped
2 bunches mint leaves, chopped (or one package from grocery)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar ( I used Port Balsamic)
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 heads Belgian endive, trimmed and separated into individual spears
(or one head curly green endive)
1 avocado, a little on the firm side, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

Directions

Cook quinoa, according to package directions. I used a rice cooker and cooked 1 1/2 cups quinoa in 3 cups of water. After cooked, cool completely. I spread the quinoa onto a plate and set in the refrigerator for about an hour. This could also be done several hours before serving, up to a day before.
When the quinoa is cooled, add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley and mint. Toss.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice salt and pepper.
Wash and dry the endive. If using the curly endive, line a platter with leaves. Lightly toss the avocado with the salad. If using endive spears, spoon the salad onto endive spears, top with avocado, and serve.

Tips:
-The recipe calls for 12 cups of water to the 1 1/2 cups of quinoa. This had to be a misprint. I followed the advice of several opinions online and used a rice cooker. The quinoa was cooked perfectly in the rice cooker. If you don't have a rice cooker, follow package directions for cooking on the stove top.
-It is essential to completely cool the quinoa after cooking. Fluff it up a bit and place in fridge.
-The recipe calls for rinsing the quinoa after cooking. Thankfully, I listened to that little voice that said - test a small portion. I took about a cup out and rinsed it. It never drained. The portion I rinsed was a water soaked mess. It sat in a strainer for a few hours, and never drained. Glad I didn't try that with the whole batch. Spreading the quinoa on a plate and placing in the fridge worked well for me.
-I prefer grape tomatoes to larger tomatoes for this recipe.
-The original recipe calls for red wine vinegar. I've found when a recipe calls for just red wine vinegar and olive oil, I usually prefer balsamic. I use a Port Balsamic "O" Brand, which can be found at kitchen specialty stores, or often at my favorite, TJ Maxx, in the kitchenware aisle. You can also find "O" here.
-*The recipe calls for pickling cukes. You may also use regular grocery store variety, just make sure to seed them (remove the seeds). Or seeded English cucumbers work well.
-Last note- this was even better for leftovers the day after. 

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Asparagus, Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche

Mom would LOVE it if you made this for her on Sunday.


Asparagus, Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche
A Bountiful Kitchen
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1 1/2  cups asparagus, washed, tough ends removed, steamed just until bright green

1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded

1 bunch green onions, green stems only, chopped

3-4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup grated medium cheddar
1-9 inch pie crust see recipe here

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
After steaming, chop the asparagus into two inch pieces.
Place the asparagus, tomatoes and green onion into the unbaked pie shell. Layer the goat cheese on top of the vegetables.
Beat the eggs and half and half together for about one minute using a mixer or blender.
Pour the egg mixture on top of the vegetables and goat cheese. Top with cheddar cheese.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set.

Serves 6-8

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Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Kari Cutler made this delicious and healthy tortilla soup at a South Fork class in February. The prep work is done the day or night before. Perfect  recipe for Soccer (or baseball) Moms.
Have a great weekend!

Kari's Healthy Tortilla Soup

Kari Cutler
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The day or night before serving:

2 cups dried beans (black beans, pinto beans, small white beans, black eyed peas or a mixture) or 

2-16 oz canned beans

½  medium size sweet onion

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon cumin

Soak beans in 8 cups of water all day.  Drain water.  Chop onion.  Cook the beans, seasonings, 6 cups of water, and ½ the onion in the Crock pot with the temperature set to  “high” overnight. 

Also chop the following ingredients the day or night before:

6 carrots

8 stalks celery

½ medium size sweet onion (reserved from step above)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried basil

Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Chop carrots and celery, and other half of onion used in slow cooker.  Place in a gallon storage bag.  Add seasonings and refrigerate overnight.  You can add the carrots/celery/onion along with 4 cups of water to the beans in the Crockpot and cook on low during the day, or cook in 4 cups of water in a pot on the stove for approximately 20 minutes from the time the pot boils. 

About an hour before you are ready to serve, add:

1 large (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 small bag frozen corn

1 large container ready to serve fresh salsa

2 cooked chopped chicken breasts (optional)

1 medium can refried beans (optional)

Serve with any combination of:

Tortilla chips

Pepper Jack Cheese (cubed or grated)

Sour Cream

Avocados

Humus

Cilantro

Makes a large Crockpot of soup—about 12 medium sized bowls.  May be frozen for several weeks and re-heated.  

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Thai Chicken Pizza

Love this recipe for Thai Chicken Pizza. It's based off of the CPK restaurant recipe.  I love the flavors in this pizza. The original recipe calls for Thai Sate sauce only, but I like to mix it up a bit and add some other flavors.  If you love specialty pizza but have been afraid to try it at home, now is your chance to take a leap of faith! This recipe is really simple, and fun to make. It's just a matter of buying sauce, some fresh ingredients and chopping. The crust recipe comes from John Spottiswood of Cook, Eat, Share (a recipe website that connects bloggers, chefs and cooks together and catalogs all of their recipes in one location). The dough is perfect for traditional pizza or specialty pizza.  John's pizza dough really deserves a post of its own!
You're going to love this dish.
Promise.





Thai Chicken Pizza
adapted from California Pizza Kitchen
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Dough for pizza, recipe below- best prepared one day or at least 8 hours in advance

Pizza topping:
1 cups chicken, cooked, chopped
1 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup Thai Sate Sauce
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce, optional
1/4 cup Chili Garlic sauce, optional
1 1/4 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
2 green onions, chopped
2-3 tablespoons chopped peanuts
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, divided
1/3 cup bean sprouts, fresh, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup fresh chopped carrots

If you have a pizza stone, place in the oven on bottom rack.
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Roll out one ball of dough into a 12-14 inch circle.  Place onto a 14 inch pizza pan that has been coated lightly with cornmeal or cooking spray. You should have two balls of dough remaining for future use.
Toss the chicken with one tablespoon of Thai Sate Sauce, if desired. Or you may skip this step. Set aside.
Mix the sauces together (Sate, Hoisin and Chili Garlic) and spread sauce on top of the rolled out dough.
Spread one cup of cheese evenly on top of sauce.
Sprinkle chicken, green onions, chopped peanuts, 1/4 cup of the cilantro,  sprout and carrots on top of the cheese.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
Bake the pizza for about 8 minutes or until the pizza starts to set up. At this point, I use a pizza peel to slide the pizza directly onto the pizza stone. Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes or until the pizza is golden brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of the fresh cilantro. Cut and serve immediately.
Serves 2-4


New York Style Pizza Dough
John Spottiswood, Cook, Eat, Share

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/4 cups ice cold water
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt or 1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 1/2 cups unbleached bread or high-gluten flour, plus flour for dusting


In a small bowl, stir the yeast into the lukewarm water with a fork. Set aside to let the yeast dissolve for about 5 minutes.
In another small bowl combine the cold water, sugar, salt, and olive oil. Stir to dissolve.
To make the dough by hand, place the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and stir in the yeast and the cold water mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix the dough thoroughly. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until soft and elastic, about 10-12 minutes. It will still be tacky but should no longer stick to your hands.
To make the dough with a mixer (highly recommended), fit a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Place the flour in a large mixer bowl and add the yeast and cold water mixture. Mix on low speed for about 4 minutes. Push dough off the hook and let it rest for 2 minutes. Then mix again on low speed for about 6 more minutes. Push down the hook if dough rises too high and threatens to get in the motor. Turn the dough out onto a well floured board and and knead for a minute or two until it forms a smooth ball.
To prepare the dough for rising, cut the dough into thirds. With floured hands pick up one portion of dough and pull the opposite edges together, wrapping them underneath towards the center to form a tight ball. Pinch the edge to seal. Repeat with the other two sections. Place each portion in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Squeeze our any excess air and seal the bags. Refrigerate for at least 10 hours or up to 2 days (longer is better). Remove from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before using so the dough can come to room temperature.
This dough freezes well.
Yield 3- 14-16 inch thin crust or three medium thickness 12 inch crusts.

Tips:
- Pizza- I combined the three sauces mentioned, because I don't like the heavy peanut flavor of the Sate Sauce alone. I prefer a more tangy and sweet combo with a hint of the peanut flavor sauce. Experiment to see what you like best.
You may also make the pizza as directed leaving all of the veggies off until after baking, and then placing all on top of the sauce, chicken and cheese that has been baked. This produces more of a fresh looking and tasting pizza.
-Dough- I love this dough. I kept it in the fridge for about a week the first time I made it. Really wonderful texture. It freezes well. When ready to use, take out of freezer and place on counter for about 4 hours or until thawed and no longer cold. It rolls out easily and is very easy to work.

-For specialty pizzas (such as Thai Chicken, and BBQ Chicken), I prefer to roll the crust thin, so the toppings can be center stage.

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Mexican Couscous

Here's the couscous dish I told you about yesterday. Loved it with the Cream Cheese Enchiladas. Unbelievably simple. And if you were feeling guilty about the cream cheese and sour cream in the enchiladas, this dish has very little fat. Perfect side for the rich enchiladas. Have a great weekend!

Mexican Couscous

adapted from Allrecipes
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1 cup couscous, dry  (equals about 3-4 cups cooked)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

fresh ground pepper
1 1/4 cups boiling water

1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1 cup chopped tomatoes, optional
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil

zest from one lime
3-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

Combine the couscous, cumin, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the boiling water and seal bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes.
After couscous has "cooked" break up with fork so the pieces are not clumped together.  Stir remaining ingredients into couscous. Add more salt and fresh ground pepper if needed. 

May be served hot, cold or at room temperature. 

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French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms- Pioneer Woman

This weekend is Grant's birthday, again :)
It always falls close to the Super Bowl, so I have a little birthday/SB dinner. We were a little bummed the 49ers didn't get into the big game.  What was up with that? We have a thing for Alex Smith, since he played at the U of U a few years back. Met him a few times at games. Great kid. Oh, maybe he's a man now?  Here's a cute pic of him with my boys at the Fiesta Bowl.

Anyway. Superbowl=appetizers. A stuffed mushroom fit for the Super Bowl. Is that two words? or one? My spell check says it's two.
Are you a French Onion Soup lover? I am. Remember when I posted Classic French Onion Soup? It's my favorite soup in the world. When I was a kid, my dad made it for us. And we had these little bowls, special for French Onion Soup, I think it was the only time we used them. Which must have been once a year?  Funny how I remember those bowls.
Ok, the appetizer. Tastes just like French Onion Soup. In a mushroom. I made these and everyone went crazy. A love fest. For the mushrooms. If your people love onions and mushrooms, you have to make these.

Pioneer Woman's French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms

Pioneer Woman Cooking
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2 tablespoons butter
2 whole large onions, halved and sliced thin
1/4 cup beef broth
7 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
splash of red or white wine ( I used cooking wine)
1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
Kosher salt
24 whole white Or Crimini mushrooms, washed and stems removed
minced parsley, optional for garnish


In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Splash in wine, broth, and Worcestershire. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until liquid is cooked down. Set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Throw in mushrooms and toss around for 2 minutes, just to start the cooking process. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt.

Place mushroom caps face down in a baking dish. Heap cavity with sauteed mushrooms, then sprinkle Gruyere over the top. Bake at 10 minutes on 325 degrees. Turn on broiler and broil for a couple of minutes, until the top of the Gruyere starts to bubble and slightly turn brown.

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Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

Soup. I love it because it usually takes 30 minutes or less, prep-to-table and I can throw together some buttermilk biscuits or simple cornbread muffins while the soup is cooking.  This one's a combo of some of my favorite Minestrone recipes. Dinner doesn't get much easier than this. Remember that "New Beginnings: College and Missionary Meals" category? This one qualifies.

Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
A Bountiful Kitchen
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3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (yellow or sweet)
2 cups chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
14 oz can vegetable OR chicken stock, if you aren't concerned about going meatless (check to make sure it's MSG free)
1 cup water
1 cup "ditalini" pasta or other small pasta shape
2 cups chopped zucchini or fresh spinach (optional)*
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1- 15 oz can Great Northern beans, drained
1 tablespoon basil, dried
additional water, if needed

Using a large, heavy stock pot, saute onion and carrots in olive oil on medium heat about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add fresh tomatoes, fresh zucchini or spinach, chicken stock, and water. Bring to boil. Add pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes until al dente.
Stir in tomato paste, beans and basil.  Cook just until combined.
If needed, add a little more water to the soup.
Serve immediately with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves about 4-6.

Tips:
*I add a variety of vegetables to this soup. Adding one to two cups of whatever is in your fridge, such as zucchini, other squash, spinach works well.

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Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugared Pecans

 

This dish was a big hit at the Southern Cooking class held on Monday at South Fork. We all loved the texture and just the right amount of sweet in this dish. Instead of marshmallows, Sheri used pecans coated with a brown sugar-spice mixture.  Mmmmmmmm. 

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugared Pecans

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Sweet potato casserole:

4 cups mashed cooked sweet potato  about 4 1/2 lbs

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup half-and-half

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons brandy extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon pepper


for topping:
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups chopped pecans
¼ cup butter, melted
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon


Combine first 11 ingredients; spoon into a lightly greased 11-×7-×1 ½-inch baking dish.

Combine 1/3 cup brown sugar, chopped pecans, melted butter and cinnamon in a small bowl.  

Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. 

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. 

Tips:

For make ahead - Prepare as directed in recipe, leaving out pecan topping. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Place in refrigerator. 

When ready to serve, remove from fridge about 45 minutes before serving, top with pecans and bake in a 375 oven for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered. 

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Balsamic Roasted Yams and Onions

Here's my vote for a super simple, fresh and delicious holiday side dish. Balsamic Roasted Yams and Onions. You've roasted veggies in your oven, right? If not, you are really missing out. The difference between say, boiling yams on the stove and roasting, well, in my humble opinion, they're not even comparable. Roasting brings out the sweetness in any vegetable. And it's the perfect choice if you want to enjoy yams, but are trying to save calories for other traditional treats. Like PIE :)

Balsamic Roasted Yams and Onions
adapted from Sparkpeople.com
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3 yams
3 onions (preferably sweet)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
garnish with fresh herbs, if desired

Peel and cut the yams and onions into bite size chunks. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and balsamic. Pour veggies onto a jelly roll (13"x18") pan. Generously season with salt and pepper. Roast at 450 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until tender. Toss once during cooking.
Serves 8.

Tips:
-You may prep the veggies the day before and store in a container in the fridge. Toss with oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Roast before dinner. Or, you may prepare this a day or two before and refrigerate. Take  out and heat up in oven or in microwave just before serving. We had these for dinner last week, and they were yummy heated up as leftovers the next day.

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Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

Sheri, my SIL found this recipe in Southern Living mag last spring. She served it at a family dinner and her brother, (my hubs) loved it so much he ate three or four in one sitting. Did I mention he usually won't touch sweet potatoes?  You can make this as a side dish in a regular size muffin tin, or in a mini tin for an appetizer portion. I've made Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks several times and the  result is the same every time.  Everyone loves this recipe. It's perfect for my favorite holiday of the year.
Thanksgiving!!!!!!
Two more weeks.
Can you tell I'm excited?

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks adapted from Southern Living Magazine, 2011

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1 1/2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced *
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, divided 

1 cup (4 oz.) freshly shredded mozzarella or Gruyere cheese, divided*
2/3 cup heavy cream 

1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Garnish: fresh thyme or rosemary

Preheat oven to 350°. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt.  Then sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. thyme and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes should come slightly above the rim of each cup.) 

Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. thyme or rosemary at HIGH 1 minute. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 Tbsp. per cup).
Bake at 350°, covered with aluminum foil, 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.
Let stand 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish, if desired.

Tips:
-Try to buy potatoes that are no larger than about 2 inches wide. When sliced these fit nicely into the muffin tins. Stagger the slices as you stack to get a fully formed stack. Is you are unable to find long, slim sweet potatoes or yams, use a wider potato and cut the slice in half.
-I prefer to use a sweet potato or yam that is orange in color, not the whiter type sweet potato.
-Make sure to stack the potatoes about 1/2 inch above the rim if you want  a nice stack, the potatoes will shrink during baking.
-I like this recipe with thyme, rosemary or sage.
-If you don't have a mini muffin pan, and want to serve these as an appetizer, just stack the potatoes about half way in the baking cup (instead of to the top) and bake until the edges are browned a bit. This will make them closer to bite size and they will hold together better when picked up.
-One more thing...You can make these early and take them to a gathering. Just pop them into the oven for about 3 minutes at 350 to warm them up a bit. Or they are fine served at room temperature.

This is an example of a stack that was used for an appetizer portion, not stacked quite as high in the cup, and baked a bit more. 

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Spicy Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup

My Secret Recipe Club assignment this  month comes from Indian-Leigh at A Vegan Obsession.
Now I'm sure I am about as far as anyone can possibly get from being a Vegan. How in the world would I find a recipe to cook on this site??  I looked and looked.  In the end, I went with a soup recipe. This one sounded interesting. Coconut milk and butternut squash. Both ingredients I love.  It's not a lot different from my all time favorite Butternut Squash soup recipe, except for the coconut milk. I used a carton of coconut milk, but think if I made this again, I would definitely use a can of lite coconut milk, and 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth. I think canned coconut milk has a much better and richer flavor than the coconut milk in a carton.
Any who. If you are a vegan, and you are looking for a change from typical recipes for Butternut squash soup, give this one a try. Oh, if you are a vegan, or cooking for a vegan- you will love India -Leigh's blog! Make sure to stop by and take a look around.

Two more days for our fun cookbook giveaway! Check out this link to register.


Spicy Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup
adapted from A Vegan Obsession
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3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped about 2 cups
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into large chunks, about 5 cups
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
one can lite coconut milk (found in Asian section of grocery)
4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
slat and pepper

Place the onions in oil in a large stockpot on stove. Cook on medium high heat until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Place the squash into the pan along with the ginger.  Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
Add all of the liquid. Add the chili powder and bring to a boil. Simmer until squash is soft, about 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth, or place into a blender in batches, blend until smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

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Fresh Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas

We loved this version of veggie enchiladas. Well, Brookie and I did. Not too sure about the boys. They're always looking for the meat. I added onions and fresh mushrooms to the dish to beef up the filing and give it a bit more flavor and interest. The boys like flour over corn tortillas, so I gave in and used flour this time. These kind of reminded me of lasagna because of the ricotta filling. Total prep and cook time- about 40 minutes. Serve it with a salad, chips and Sheri's Salsa. Great for busy fall nights.






Fresh Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas

adapted from Allrecipes
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1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions

8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 chopped Anaheim peppers (optional)
3 cups fresh spinach, washed
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream, low fat works
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
10 (6 inch) corn or  small flour tortillas
1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook until onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add mushrooms cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the garlic and Anaheim peppers and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in spinach, and cook for about 3-5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

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Pico de Gallo

Final installment of our "Cafe Rio Style"recipes.
Why is this called Pico de Gallo? In Spanish, Pico means spicy or beak. And gallo means rooster. So Pico de Gallo literally translated, is a spicy rooster, or beak rooster?  Or maybe it's spicy beak of a rooster? Grant (who speaks fluent Spanish)  and I had a discussion about this. He says the words have a double meaning. Still doesn't make sense to me... I'm wondering why tomatoes, jalapeno and onions are (translated) "spicy beak rooster".  Forget the economy, or why Bronco didn't wear the "Band of Brothers" t shirt  to the Utah/BYU game last Saturday, after wearing it to the first two games (what was up with that?) ,  these are the profound questions that keep me up at night.
When making this salad, Pico is like the frosting on a cake. It takes less than five minutes to chop and mix up. Pico + chips = my dinner, two nights in a row. YUM.
Hurry and make some before the fresh tomatoes disappear...



Pico de Gallo
A Bountiful Kitchen
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4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, about 1 cup chopped, white or sweet variety
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, optional
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl.
Best if made at least one hour before serving.
Serve at room temperature.

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Amy's Bread Zucchini, Carrot and Apple Muffins

Zucchini. Have you had any show up on your front porch lately?  A couple of weeks ago, I walked into my kitchen and found three zucchini on my counter. No idea how they got there. Pretty sure I didn't grow them in my batting cage... When my kids came home, I asked them about the mystery z.
Jake said Chris, my back-door neighbor handed them over the fence (thanks Chris). Probably when he was out back, hitting plums from the deck into the batting cage.

They sat on the counter for a few days, and eventually ended up in muffins. I chose this recipe because I had two ENORMOUS bags of carrots in my fridge. In a moment of stupidity, I bought this warehouse-great-deal bag of carrots.  Enough carrots to feed a small country. I think it weighs twenty pounds. I was making a carrot cake at the time and thought it was a good idea. So a month later, I still have 19 pounds of carrots in my fridge. Well, after this recipe maybe 18.  Let me know if you need any carrots.
Oh, the muffins. Wonderful. I love Amy's Bread.  If you love carrot cake, you'll love these. They are dense, not too much sugar and are made with veggie oil instead of butter. I added raisins to the batter, since I love raisins in my muffins. Great texture. A meal in a muffin.














Zucchini, Carrot and Apple Muffins
adapted slightly from Amy's Bread, NYC
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3 cups flour
1 1/8 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened coconut
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups peeled grated carrots
2 cups zucchini, unpeeled
2 cups granny smith apples, grated
3/4 cup walnut pieces, or 3/4 cup golden raisins or both

Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins.
In large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder, whisk together.
In another medium size bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add grated carrots, zucchini and apples. Stir together, until all fruit and vegetables are mixed well.
pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients all at once. Fold until all incorporated. Fold in nuts and raisins   if using. The batter will be very thick.
Scoop the batter into greased muffin pan using a large cookie scoop. Or use a large spoon or measuring cup. Fill the muffin tins almost to the top to insure full, rounded muffin tops.
Bake at 400 for ten minutes, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 6 minutes. Check the muffins by inserting a toothpick in center, if it comes out clean, muffin is done.
Leave the muffin in the tin for about ten minutes, then loosen edges with a butter knife and remove from pan to cool.

Tips:
-I used unpeeled, cored Macintosh apples.
-I did not add the nuts, but added golden raisins. You may add one or both, or neither, if you wish.
-The original recipe calls for 12 large muffins. I thought the muffins would be too big as a large muffin, especially since these are dense, filling muffins. I baked the muffins in regular size muffin tins. The recipe yielded about 22 regular size muffins.
-Since I did not make the muffins into 12 large muffins, I cut the baking time. The original recipe calls for 400 degrees- ten minutes, rotate the pan, lower temperature to 350, then bake for an additional 22-25 minutes. Maybe this was a misprint? That would total at least 32 minutes.  Way too long. My muffins were done baking in 16 minutes flat.
-Super moist. Great texture. These freeze well.

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Tessa's Southwest Chicken Rollups

I've had this recipe in my files for years. Every once in a while I pull it out and make a batch. They usually disappear about as quickly as they come out of the oven. This week, I served them with Sheri's Simple Salsa. Great mid-week meal, with chips and fresh fruit or a salad.




Tessa's Southwest Chicken Roll ups
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3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast meat
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium onion
1 1/2 cups corn (if in season, about 2 large cobs, cooked and cut off cob)
1-15.5 oz can black beans, washed and drained
1 1/2- 2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups grated Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, grated
14-16 10 inch tortillas, I prefer thin flour tortillas for this recipe
salt and pepper to taste

Place all filling ingredients together in a medium to large bowl.  Mix lightly.
Spread about 1/4 to 1/3 cup filling in the middle of each tortilla, depending on how thick or thin you want the rolls to be.  Roll tightly and place on a lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Brush the top of the tortillas lightly with canola, vegetable or olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove and serve immediately or at room temperature with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Tips:
-Great as an appetizer or main dish.
-Great as a make ahead dish. Prepare, cover tightly with foil. Place in fridge until ready to bake and serve.  Remove foil before baking. Make up to 2 days ahead.
-This recipe was altered from Tessa's original recipe - her recipe called for most of the same main ingredients, I just increased the amounts of the ingredients, to make the recipe more user and family friendly. Instead of 1/4 cup of black beans, I altered it to include the whole can of black beans.

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Grilled Teriyaki Elk Kabobs

Disclaimer: If you are offended by hunters, stories about hunting, pics of hunted animals, etc. ,  you may want to pass on reading this post...

Carpet Shoes. Camo. Face Paint. August 20th. The opening weekend of the deer bow hunt in Utah.
A joyous time for the Foster fam.  Well, at least for the males in the fam.  First the deer hunt, and then in a few weeks, the elk hunt.
The hunt is on. Today, I ran down to my basement and opened the freezer, I let out a yelp when I saw this:

My nephew, Nick "harvested" a buck on Saturday, the opening day of the hunt.
Oh happy day.
In honor of Nick, slaying  harvesting (huter talk) a deer, I prepared these tasty kabobs for Sunday dinner. No, I didn't use Nicks venison, just some elk steaks we had in the freezer. Now you know I'm not a fan of wild game, but after marinating these in my special sauce, and Grant working his magic on the BBQ, we ended up with some really delish kabobs on the table.
Happy Huntin' !
love,
The Clampetts.

Nick's deer on the opener. 

Update-Monday night, Jake got a deer as well. 

Want to read more about my hubs obsession with hunting? This post tells it all. 

Grilled Teriyaki Elk Kabobs 
A Bountiful Kitchen
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For assembly of kabobs:
12-14  10 inch wood skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 15 minutes

Marinade:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup A-1 or Heinz 57 Steak Sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar, preferably dark brown

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 clove garlic, optional

salt and fresh ground pepper

For kabobs:
2 lbs red meat (elk, venison, beef) cut into 1 inch cubes
fresh veggies and fruit:
1 pineapple, chunked
4 peppers total- assorted colors (red, orange, yellow, green) seeded and cut into chunks
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 large sweet onion, chunked
8-10 fresh mushrooms, washed


Mix all marinade ingredients together in a bowl, or a large Ziplock bag.
Add the cut up meat to the marinade and let sit for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.
When ready to assemble, thread meat and vegetables onto skewers.
Grill on medium high heat for about 5-6 minutes per side, turning once.

Tips:

-We have found over the course of YEARS of cooking (and overcooking) wild game, the best way to prepare steaks is to sear or cook in a short amount of time over high heat. Marinating helps tremendously.  

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